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Speaking of WD-40...
jonk
Member Posts: 10,121
The recent post got me thinking.
When I first started shooting, it was what I used on everything. Bore cleaning, wiping down guns, etc.
Having had it dry out and the guns rust, that turned me away from that.
So what is it good for?
It IS wonderful at displacing water. It also does a pretty decent job as a solvent to cut into grime, grease, etc. It is fair to middling as a penetrating oil, but not really in it's place there.
It isn't a long term rust preventative.
It isn't a long term lubricant.
It does a fair job at removing carbon, but not as good as dedicated products.
In a pinch, if you spray out a can into a kerosene lamp it burns quite nicely.
I think that's about it.
When I first started shooting, it was what I used on everything. Bore cleaning, wiping down guns, etc.
Having had it dry out and the guns rust, that turned me away from that.
So what is it good for?
It IS wonderful at displacing water. It also does a pretty decent job as a solvent to cut into grime, grease, etc. It is fair to middling as a penetrating oil, but not really in it's place there.
It isn't a long term rust preventative.
It isn't a long term lubricant.
It does a fair job at removing carbon, but not as good as dedicated products.
In a pinch, if you spray out a can into a kerosene lamp it burns quite nicely.
I think that's about it.
Comments
It was first used to displace water on ICBMs in the silos. It would be sprayed on the missiles every so often.
WD-40 = Water Displacing Formula 40.
Removes pitch from yer hands when doing wood work.
I use it as a "cleaner" as much as a lube .
I wipe down all the hand tools with it after use seems to work for me .
duct tape and wd-40 will cover just about any thing that come up needing repaired if it moving and should not duct tape if its not moving and should wd-40 simple redneck rule
I have heard they have a web site people contribute too and has countless uses .
early on in life 3inone oil was my dads version of wd-40 from guns to cars it was coated with 3in 1 oil [:D]
I wont buy a gun that has been maintained with wd-40, it also a penetrating oil, not good for bluing, and internal parts
It's interesting that the WD-40 company bought the 3-IN-ONE Oil business back in 1995.
"The history of 3-IN-ONE Oil Since 1894 . . .
1894 George W. Cole, a resident of Asbury Park, New Jersey, compounds a mixture to accomplish three things in connection with the care and maintenance of a bicycle. These are: a lubricant, a rust preventive and a cleaner. The formula results in the famous 3-IN-ONEr Oil that accomplishes three separate things with one application.
1899 The product proves to be an immediate success and the little business grows to such proportions that the company, G.W. Cole, is incorporated under the laws of the state of New Jersey.
1905-1910 The corporate charter is amended and the name of the company is changed from G.W. Cole to 3-IN-ONE Oil Company. Green glass bottles having the name 3-IN-ONE in raised letters and a cork stopper are sold. Circa 1910 metal screw-top caps make their appearance, while the rest of the bottle remains the same.
1933 The capital stock of 3-IN-ONE Oil Company is acquired by Drug Incorporated, which later dissolves. At that time, the 3-IN-ONE Oil Company becomes part of Sterling Products Inc.
1936 A.S. Boyle Company, a subsidiary of American Home Products Corporation, purchases the brand from Sterling Products Inc. It is merchandised in small tin cans.
1990 Reckitt & Coleman Plc. through its U.S. subsidiary, Reckitt & Coleman Inc., acquires the Boyle Midway household products division of American Home Products.
1994 To celebrate the product's centennial, this year's packaging design incorporates a black banner at the top front of the can, reading "100 Years - Hundreds of Uses."
1995 WD-40 Company officially acquires the worldwide 3-IN-ONE Oil business from Reckitt & Coleman Plc., worldwide manufacturer and marketer of household, toiletry, pharmaceutical and food products.
1999 A new delivery system, the Telescoping Spout, is added to the product line. Reminiscent of an old-time oilcan, the plastic bottle comes with a five-inch extendable spout designed to get at hard-to-reach places.
2003 The 3-IN-ONE Professional line is introduced - a line of high-performance specialty products essential for the home, factory and shop.
2004 Four new high-performance specialty formulas are added to the popular 3-IN-ONE Professional line.
2007 The Garage Door Lube is added to the 3-IN-ONE Professional line bringing the total line to nine formulas.
2012 The 3-IN-ONE Multi-Purpose Oil with Marksman Spout, with its new ergonomically shaped bottle, on and off twist tip and product fill indicator, is introduced to help trade professionals deliver oil precisely where it's needed - and nowhere else."
http://www.3inone.com/about/history/
I've been using it for 40 yrs on my guns.
No rust,No other issues.Every couple of months
I wipe 'em down with it.Now for long term storage
I use Rig, it's works great but is a pain in the
butt removing it.
When we were working the equipment would be cleaned then doused by dunking it in a bucket of WD-40 and I never saw any signs of drying up or getting tacky, and we had tools in rooms that would be temps of 120 or higher for days on end.
are no doubt all good as/or much better than WD-40.
IT just depends what one grew up
with.
you can use WD-40 to remove gunk tar and stickers, but Gumout has always worked better for that.
heck I don't know what it's good for.
started diesel engines
started single cylinder gas engines
resurrected harness buckles
helped remove some really stubborn machine parts
prevented rust on submerged or drenched firearms
removed glue and paint from things I didn't want glued/painted
cleaned road tar off my car
provided some very interesting smoke, odor, and flames when sprayed on really hot stuff
any number of things that aren't among the advertised uses
I don't diss WD40 since I don't know that it actually hurt anything I used it on.
quote:Originally posted by rong
I don't know why people diss WD-40.
I've been using it for 40 yrs on my guns.
No rust,No other issues.Every couple of months
I wipe 'em down with it.Now for long term storage
I use Rig, it's works great but is a pain in the
butt removing it.
Yep,,,,,been using it since the early 60s,,,,,,,not one spect of rust or a jam of any kind. I do use it sparingly.
BTW,,,,,,The company sent it to troops in the field to protect their weapons,,,,,,,,and no, it doesn't contain 'fish oil' ,,,,,
"In 1968 goodwill kits containing WD-40r were sent to soliders in Vietnam to prevent moisture damage on firearms and help keep them in good working condition."
must have went well with the m16 with 1/14 twist rate that never needed cleaning, due to its "self cleaning" ability
A few years ago I bought a good hand saw and paid a lot for it.When I finished using it the first time,it was sprayed with WD 40 and hung in the workshop.Next time I used it,it would not cut because it was binding.A closer look and the WD 40 had gummed up.A cleaning with carb cleaner fixed it.Next time it was coated with Hoppes gun oil and no more problems.I still use WD 40,but try to be more careful where I use it.
How long did it take for the WD-40 to gum up?
Like I posted we used it in hot rooms and the tools may sit in that heat for a couple months yet we never had anything get gummy.
(ether) and is better at penetrating stuck threads. I still keep
a rag in a bag saturated with WD and any light oil for a quick wipe
down on guns.
Used WD-40 to start diesels years ago
It used to start gas and diesel years ago butn it will not start a gas engine. Wonder if it is now WD-41? Don
Used WD-40 to start diesels years ago
Yep,works great too,,
It also works great for wiping down everything under the hood on my 12 year old Chevy pick-up truck. I've always used WD-40 every time I change oil to wipe everything down under the hood of my cars and truck. When I grease my truck while I'm underneath it I wipe everything down underneath it also. It works because the truck still looks like new inside and out.